Chester Street Accident Update

Worcester, MA (November, 9, 2013) - On Friday, November 8, 2013, at approximately 2:15 PM, Worcester Police responded to Chester Street for a report of a pedestrian accident that involved an 18 month old boy and his mother. Upon police arrival they observed the child being treated by Worcester EMS personnel. The child and mother were transported to U-Mass Medical (university campus) for treatment.

The 18 month boy, identified as Bennett Roaf, succumbed to his injuries Friday evening. The exact cause of death is pending the results of a scheduled post mortem examination.

The 33-year-old mother was treated for a shoulder injury and has since been released from the hospital. The Worcester Police Crash Reconstruction Unit continues to investigate this tragic accident.

The preliminary investigation indicates that the family vehicle was located at the top of the sloping driveway to the family home. The mother exited the vehicle and went to retrieve her son from the back seat. As the mother was picking up the child, the vehicle began to roll backwards, knocking the mother and child to the ground with the open rear door. The two were struck by the rolling vehicle which continued down the driveway.